Person of the Week: Kevin Heinlein appointed as new IDPS sergeant

Friday

Jul 11, 2014 at 9:23 PMJul 11, 2014 at 9:23 PM

Heinlein's first day was June 21, the day following the retirement of Sgt. Mike Ketchum

Karen Botakaren.bota@sentinel-standard.com

Kevin Heinlein is just settling into his new position as sergeant — and fourth in command — at the Ionia Department of Public Safety.Heinlein's first day was June 21, the day following the retirement of Sgt. Mike Ketchum. Heinlein currently is working the day shift, but will be switching to midnights after the Ionia Free Fair."It sounds like a cliché, but this is something I've always wanted to do: be a police officer and a fireman," he said.Heinlein completed Firefighter 1 and 2 training in 1999 in Caro, and is a 2002 graduate of Northeastern Basic Police Academy in Bay City. He hired on as a seasonal bike officer in Greenville from April to October 2003.Heinlein said he heard about an opening in Ionia when he was on the Greenville department, and, at the time, had no idea where Ionia was. He joined the IDPS in February 2004. When budget cuts turned his full-time position into a part-time one, he also worked with Ionia County Central Dispatch for about five years, until he could return to full-time with IDPS."Working in public safety, you don't have the routine," he said. "One day, you'll have more police calls, another day more fire calls, another more medical. Every day is different, challenging and unique."Heinlein pointed to the three shootings that occurred in Ionia in recent years. While he hopes it's not a trend that will continue, it shows that things like that do happen in small towns."You have to be prepared for anything," he said.

Heinlein was "a natural choice" for the department's open sergeant position, according to IDPS Director Troy Thomas.

"His outstanding work as a field training officer has helped mold new officers and train them properly," Thomas said. Going from a road officer to a sergeant, and replacing someone with 27 years of experience with someone with 11 years is "a big change," Heinlein said. "There is lots to learn."As sergeant, he will be responsible for scheduling, reviewing officers' reports, preparing reports for the state, and doing court preparation work. He'll also be a conduit for two-way communication between the officers and administration. With all this, he hopes he will have some time left over to still go out on the road."I hope to do my best in the position, and I look forward to the job and the different interactions — with the employees and with the public — that come with it," he said.The biggest challenge that Heinlein sees for Ionia is community pride and community involvement. Whether it's volunteering, attending community events or cleaning up yards to make the neighborhoods look nicer, he hopes to see people taking a more active role.Community vigilance is another need that will benefit both the public safety department and Ionia citizens, said Heinlein."You can look and report anything you see that is out of the ordinary or suspicious," he said. "We can't be everywhere all the time, so we rely on calls from the public to respond to things that are happening when we're not there to see them."In past years, Heinlein has coordinated the popular "Camp with a Cop" program, during which officers and community kids ages 8 to 12 camp overnight at the Ionia Free Fair grounds. He plans to host the event again this year in late August."It's something I think is beneficial to not only the officers but also the public," he said. "It helps them to see officers in a different light, to see them more as a person than as a police officer."

"Kevin always performs extra work to benefit the community, by organizing and running the annual 'Camp with a Cop,' teaching fire safety in the schools and by giving safety presentations to children," said Thomas.When Heinlein is not on duty, he enjoys activities with his family."Work is fun, but there's nothing like going home to your family and spending time doing things they all like to do," he said.His promotion to sergeant will have a learning curve, but it also will bring unique opportunities."I was very fortunate to get this job, and to move up," he said. "I absolutely love it. It's truly a dream job, for me at least."To nominate someone you know for the ISS Person of the Week, email karen.bota@sentinel-standard.com.